1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for disinfecting aqueous systems contaminated with bacteria and/or fungi, e.g., industrial water circulation systems, which comprises contacting said systems with a solid aromatic percarboxylic acid as more fully defined hereinbelow. The invention further relates to a method for disinfecting materials contaminated with bacteria and/or fungi which comprises treating the material with an aqueous system which comprises a solid aromatic percarboxylic acid as more fully defined hereinbelow.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The antimicrobial activity of liquid percarboxylic acid formulations has been known for a long time. However, for certain applications it is desirable that the antimicrobially active agent exist in solid form and yield its active ingredient over a long period of time when in contact with the aqueous medium to be disinfected.
The solid aromatic percarboxylic acids employed as antimicrobial agents in the methods of the invention, as more fully described hereinbelow, belong to a well known class of compounds.
The stability of certain substituted perbenzoic acids, including a number of those employed in the methods of the invention, and their incorporation as bleaching agents in solid detergent compositions is described in British Patent Specification No. 886,188.